Today marks the 100th anniversary of the first delivery of an automobile by air. On August 15th, 1922 the Aeromarine Airways flying boat Buckey carried a Ford car from Detroit to Cleveland in 90 minutes.
But according to Timothy Jabez Newman of First In Aviation, the record should come with an asterisk:
The car entered freight shed under its own power and was dismantled so that it could be put onboard. The car components were then packed into crates and loaded into the seaplane as witnessed by reporters and photographers. But the engine weighed roughly half of the 1,500lb Ford Model T, which would have been too much even for the huge Buckeye seaplane. Four strong men heaved the empty crate labelled motor into the Buckeye and it took off without missing a beat.
In addition to transporting most of a car, Aeromarine recorded other firsts: they showed the first inflight movie (Howdy Chicago!), provided the first baggage label and opened the first airline ticket office. They also instituted procedures we now think of as standard like pilot training, maintenance programs and the seasonal rotation of equipment.
On the 100th anniversary of a sort-of first, we salute Aeromarine Airways. Learn more about Aeromarine Airways, a pioneer in aviation.